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The assessor said kindly, “You will need to go to the groomer before you leave for a final record of body condition. Remember, you have survived the death of your world; you will survive the Hmrain.”
Nova nodded. “Outlive them, no. Survive them? Yes. Let’s go for my next indignity.”
They nodded, and she was given a black metal wristband. From medical, she was taken to the groomers, weighed, measured, bathed, and dressed in a very pretty dress. It was nearly transparent but wasn’t the worst thing she had worn in the last few years. Nova was walked through the station under heavy guard, and when she saw the captain of the vessel she was going to be on, she grinned. It was definitely male with feline aspects, including a tail.
“Mistress Nova. I am Captain Na’ith. Welcome to theDeadly Star. I will be taking you to Hebor. I am at your disposal for anything you wish. Please, come with me.” He bowed over her hand, his eyes flicked to the black band, and his shoulders sagged in relief.
She walked next to him and asked, “Does the ship have a flight simulator?”
“Planning an escape?” He chuckled.
“No, I just love the idea of flying. If flight had been an option for me, I might not have been alone for the last two years.”
They were surrounded by guards, and she walked with her hands folded into her sleeves with her arms crossed below her breasts.
She was brought into the ship with all deference, which was odd. “Uh, Captain? I am not technically a companion.”
“Yes, Mistress Nova. I am aware. Until you meet Heboren, it is uncertain that you will be his consort. However, if you are to be the consort of a Hmrain, it is best to be on your good side.”
She chuckled and settled in the small shuttle. Feline mailes filled the space around her. It was like being at a furry bodybuilder convention.
She looked around. “I thought there were other humans coming.”
The captain smiled. “They are coming on the larger transport. We dropped off supplies and the payment for the bond of two dozen of your species.” He paused. “And you.”
“I am a special order?”
“We came for you. It is three weeks of travel to Hebor. We left before you had even departed your world.”
“Theedo was a chatty bastard.”
He made a chuffing sound and grinned, showing long fangs. “If that was your assessor, then, yes. He sent a direct message to Heboren.”
“You mean to Hebor.”
“No, he sent a message directly to the overseer. We were ordered to bring you to Hebor. The others are incidentals, just to see how well they take to being bondservants of the Hebor.”
“Oh. Well. There is another species on Hebor, right?”
He chuckled. “Yes. According to your records, they are canines.”
“Wait. Like, extended muzzles and floppy ears?” She tried to imagine it and came up with a cross between werewolf and Anubis.
There was a laugh that went through the men around her. She felt light touches on her mind, and more chortling passed through the space.
“Wait. You guys all have psychic outreach?” Nova looked around, and several of the faces turned toward her.
Captain Na’ith nodded. “Of course. The entire planet uses it as a secondary form of communication. We are away from the strictures of our world here, and using the distant touch while we are on our ship is essential.”
“So, do the other species talk on those frequencies as well?”
“Of course. We all developed on the same world.”
“No crossbreeding?”
He chuckled. “No. We are not directly compatible. That is why your species has been so enticing. It seems your people will be able to bridge things.”
“Uh. Oh.”
